DR. LOESCH ASKS EMPLOYERS TO STOP REQUIRING NEGATIVE COVID-19 TESTS FOR EMPLOYEES TO RETURN TO WORK

Josh Blaschke July 21, 2020

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The Health Authority of Washington County is asking employers in the county to not require negative COVID-19 tests from employees for them to return to work if they are not experiencing symptoms.

Dr. William Loesch addresses the COVID-19 cases in the community and the current situation at the Brenham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in a video update April 30th.

In a statement to the community, Dr. William Loesch said the daily reported numbers from the state are lagging behind what is seen in local medical offices by as much as a week, and part of the reason for this is testing. He said there is currently a “tremendous demand” for testing not only because of new cases and sick people, but also for reasons like returning to work. This, according to Dr. Loesch, is “massively overwhelming” the system and straining local facilities.

Dr. Loesch said his practice alone has been inundated with requests for testing in symptomatic and asymptomatic persons, either because of possible exposures or to return to work at an employer’s request. As a result, the turnaround time to receive test results has drastically slowed down.

Dr. Loesch said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has two recommendations for returning employees to work, one being the testing method involving two negative tests over a day apart. He said the CDC also recommends adopting a symptoms-based method, where an employee who experienced symptoms for over ten days can be legally cleared to return to work if they have had no symptoms over the last three days.

Two weeks ago, Dr. Loesch sent a memo to local businesses and county government asking employers to not require negative tests to return to work. He said that requiring tests does not improve a business’s liability or make for a safer work environment, and can actually hurt those that need help the most.

Overall, Dr. Loesch said the current state of COVID-19 affairs locally is “unpleasant, but tenable”. He said the county has improved its stock of personal protective equipment (PPE), improved treatments, and developed and fine-tuned protocols to help with the triage and treatment of patients. He said the next few weeks will be very telling, as while local hospital systems may not be overwhelmed, they are certainly busier than usual for this time of year. He asked community members to stay safe, wash their hands frequently, and wear their masks in public.

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